News Detail

Under legislation recently filed by State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) and State Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), motorists would have the option to register their vehicles for more than one year at a time. Although McConchie’s and Batinick’s bills differ slightly, the underlying concept remains the same.

Sen. McConchie’s legislation, Senate Bill 2293, would allow motorists, beginning in 2020, to register their vehicles for one or two years. It would also allow those who purchase a new vehicle to register their vehicle for one, two, or five years. The price per year would be the same but an individual would be able to pay it up front and not have to change their sticker every year.

Rep. Batinick’s legislation (House Bill 4259) differs somewhat. Under HB 4259, and beginning with the 2019 registration year, motorists would have the option to register their vehicles anywhere between one to five years at a time. If a vehicle owner chooses between two to five years, there would be an additional $10 fee for every registration year that is more than one year. The money from that fee would be deposited directly to the Road Fund. Likewise, trailer owners would also have an option to register their trailer for one, two, three, four, five, or ten years.

Although the versions of the two bills differ, both legislators agree that the concept of the legislation is a good idea, and that they just have different ideas on how to implement it. Both McConchie and Batinick say they look forward to having a constructive debate on the specifics.

“Both pieces of legislation provide a convenience to those who are able to pay more than one year at a time, and alleviates the burden of renewing it year after year.” said Sen. McConchie. “I look forward to hashing out our differences and coming up with a uniform bill that makes life easier for Illinoisans.”

"There's no good reason not to do some version of this. My plan allows taxpayers to keep the status quo. Or, they can simply pay a small convenience fee to receive multi-year registration,” Batinick stated. "I've spoken to businesses that would love the ability to buy a 10 year plate for their utility trailers. It's efficient for them and should save the state money too."

Currently, ten states give individuals the option to register their vehicle for longer than one year.